ACTIVITY 01 – SCI 10

Franz Kylle H. Pocson 201810968 BSA III Sec 4

1. How did classical science define the physical world?

Classical science is based on the belief that there exists a real external world whose
properties are definite and independent of the observer who perceives them (Hawking &
Mlodinow,2010). It is largely based on realism where physical properties mean objective
existence. These following scientific thoughts were considered the hallmarks of how reality
was perceived at that time:

Almagest (Ptolemy AD 150) aka the Ptolemic Universe

- The earth is spherical, motionless, positioned at the center of the universe, and
negligibly small in comparison to the distance of the heavens.
- The planets and the stars moved around it in complicated orbits involving epicycles.
- Adapted by the Catholic Church as an official doctrine

Copernican Model (Copernicus 1543) aka Copernican System

- World in which the sun was at rest and the planets revolved around it in circular orbits
- Contradictory to the bible
- Supported by Galileo that culminated his trial for heresy in 1664 and found guilty for it.

2. What is the limitation of this definition of the physical world?

During these times where philosophical thought dominates the realm of academe, how
classical thinker are confined with their definitions of the physical world is based on how
philosophical debates continue to open more discourse through theoretical discoveries and
concepts that either replaces or supports an existing thought. Without the extensive use of
modern scientific instruments, how these classical thoughts are supported or became the
basis of western thought is purely philosophical and empirical.

3. How did modern science expound on the definition of the physical world?
Since classical thought majorly based their claims on philosophical concepts and contributed
largely on the existence of emerging scientific models, the advent of technology
revolutionized what is considered “truth” through experiments and engineering. The concept
of reality is not anymore based on objective existence of one perceiver, yet it tells us that
“there is no picture- or theory-independent concept of reality” or “one cannot say that one is
more real than another”—this was later adopted as the “model-dependent realism” providing
the framework that interprets modern science which is largely pooled on theoretical
knowledge.

4. What are the elements of a good model?

According to the book Hawking and Mlodinow: The Grand Design (page 83), the elements of
a good model should be:

1. Elegant
2. Contains few arbitrary or adjustable elements
3. Agrees with and explains all existing observations
4. Makes detailed predictions about future observations that can disprove or falsify the
model if they are bit borne out
ACTIVITY 02 – SCI 10
Franz Kylle H. Pocson 201810968 BSA III Sec 4

1. What is a cosmic calendar?

This is basically how astrophysicists deduced the age of the universe into about 15 billion
years since the emergence of big bang, into a span of a single year. Largely inspired by the
late Astronomer, Carl Sagan as the first person to explain the history of the universe known
as “Universe in One Year”.

2. How were they able to date important cosmic events?

In Sagan’s words, the most instructive way he knows to express the cosmic chronology is to
imagine the lifetime of the universe into a span of a single year, divided into three forms: pre-
December dates, calendar for the month of December, and late evening of New Year’s Eve.
Information gathered from Geological Stratification and Radioactive dating, Astrophysical
theories, and even contribution from history books in scaling important events made
significant efforts in dating cosmic events that chronologically corresponds to the “best
evidence now available”.

1. What are the parts of the physical world as explained in this reading?
Stipulated in Table 1.1 The Structures of the World of the Book of Ford (page 8), there stated
the parts of the physical world crossing from the quantum aspect of the infinitesimal
submicroscopic world to enormous cosmological world. From Elementary Particles, states of
matter, organisms, the galaxy, and to the universe showing the grand panorama of the
physical world.

2. Which parts of the physical world are studied by physics? by chemistry? by geology?
According to the book of Ford, the following parts of the physical world are studied by their
corresponding field of science:
• Physics – Elementary Particle, Atomic Nucleus, Atom, Solids
• Chemistry – Molecule, Giant Molecule
• Geology – The Planet Earth

1. How does the experiment complement theory?

As stated on the book of Ford, “Experiment is the final arbiter in science”, experimentation
confirms theories as holders of what they consider the “truth” as well as destroy the very
foundation of its existence. Even if Science is essentially empirical, the facts that are tied down
as a result of exhaustive experiments will shape the structure and the progress of science
observed through time.

2. How does scientific knowledge develop?

According to Ford, an idealized version of scientific progress is set to be:
a) Experimental Facts,
b) Laws tying the facts together,
c) Hypothesis,
d) Test of the hypothesis against past facts,
e) Prediction of new facts and further tests,
f) Theory, and
g) Elaboration and Application.